Katie H.
Yelp
We had a very nice dinner here to end our honeymoon in Italy. After a day of hiking, it was with relief that we made it here, and we were ready to eat. However, their ordering system was a little confusing at first. First you stand in line to order inside the restaurant from a cafeteria-style display. However, before you can order, they have to find you a table, which is not easy as there a couple of tables inside and a handful outside across the street. We awkwardly waited in line inside without ordering until a table opened up outside. But once we had a table, it was smooth sailing.
We ordered:
- Spaghetti with seafood: Light, flavorful, and absolutely loaded with mussels, octopus, and squid. This was my husband's favorite, but I thought it tasted a little too fishy for me, and I never say that about seafood.
- Lasagna with meat sauce: Many reviews rave about this, and with good reason. It's some of the best lasagna I've had. The cheese they use (is it even ricotta?) is incredibly smooth and creamy.
- Pansotti with walnut sauce: My favorite! The walnut sauce is delicious--nutty, rich, and just slightly bitter. Combined with the pansotti, it was perfect. I savored every bite and was scraping the plate to get every last drop of sauce.
Unfortunately some of the things on the menu that I wanted to order had run out, and we had dinner relatively early, so get there really early if you want the full selection. Also, we noticed that they use store-bought pasta, which isn't the end of the world, but made the experience feel a little less authentic. Prices are on the lower side for Italy, so this is an excellent value. With the number of other restaurants I wanted to try in Monterosso al Mare, I might not come back, but you can't go wrong here.